Senior Seminars (also referred to as Senior Capstones in the Shared Passages Program) serve as a culminating experience in which students bring together their K-Plan coursework and experiences, reflect on how they have grown, and consider next steps beyond Kalamazoo College.

These courses emphasize integration of learning across major, experiential, co-curricular, and independent scholarship experiences, as well as the articulation of skills and insights gained. This work reflects the senior-year focus of the Career Readiness Curriculum, which emphasizes synthesis, articulation, and preparation for transition.

Why This Matters

Senior year is a time for both practical preparation and deeper reflection. Senior Capstones help students:

• Make meaningful connections among coursework, experiential learning, and co-curricular experiences across their K-Plan
• Articulate transferable skills, values, and patterns of growth
• Consider future goals (work, continuing education, service, etc.) within the context of their own definitions of success

Supporting students in this integrative work is a central goal of the Shared Passages Program and a hallmark of a Kalamazoo College education.

Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) as a Foundation

Senior Seminars support Kalamazoo College’s four Institutional Learning Outcomes:

• Communicates Effectively: Express ideas clearly and effectively in multiple contexts
• Address Complex Problems: Analyze complex issues, evaluate evidence, and apply learning in new and uncertain contexts
• Collaborates Successfully: Work effectively with others toward shared goals
• Demonstrates Intercultural Competency: Engage across differences with respect, empathy, and cultural awareness

These outcomes provide a shared language for reflecting on learning and articulating preparation for a wide range of post-graduate paths, including work, graduate study, service, and civic engagement.

Facilitation Framework

Faculty may adapt or select elements of this framework based on disciplinary context and course goals, and may choose to frame reflection using Kalamazoo College’s Institutional Learning Outcomes or aligned career readiness competencies, depending on what best supports their students.

Step 1: Connect to Skills and Outcomes

• Introduce the ILOs and discuss how they appear across students’ K-Plan experiences
• Use a Skills Translation Worksheet to help students identify examples from coursework, research, experiential learning, and co-curricular involvement

Step 2: Reflect and Write
Assign a short reflection to prepare for discussion. Prompts might include:

• How has your Senior Seminar helped you make connections across your Kalamazoo College education?
• What experiences have most influenced your future plans?
• Describe a transformational learning experience and how you will use what you learned moving forward

Step 3: Articulate Your Story

• Ask students to prepare a brief oral articulation of their K-Plan narrative
• Encourage them to connect skills and experiences to future goals
• Use peer feedback to strengthen clarity and confidence

CCPD Partnership Options

The CCPD partners with faculty in flexible ways that complement capstone goals, including:

• Facilitated reflection and skills translation sessions
• Resume and application-material feedback (class-based or individual)
• Alumni or professional engagement connected to course themes
• Storytelling and articulation support for post-graduate transitions

CCPD staff tailor support to disciplinary context and timing, reinforcing—rather than replacing—faculty-led reflection.